Observation/Reflection #2: Eyes in the Back of Your Head: Observing Student Actions
From a seat in the rear of the room, observe your students and take notes on what they are doing while the teacher is presenting in the front of the room, while they are supposed to be taking notes, doing seatwork, and/or when they are working in the lab. Look closely at each student for a range of behaviors, and resist the temptation on only see what you expect. Note especially what is happening furthest from the teacher.
What strategies are used by your CT to encourage students to attend and engage? Watch carefully how your CT moves around the room. Draw a map of the classroom and sketch a path showing (approximately) this movement.
How important is student engagement to your view of how you will teach? What strategies will you employ to encourage student engagement?
Observations:
While Dr. Gibbons is teaching in the front of the classroom, I am observing in the rear to begin while she starts her lesson then I walk around the classroom offering my assistance or clarify explanations. To start class, she is in the front of the room, greeting students and discussing what they had worked on the previous day to refresh them. Then she checks homework by walking by each student (all 10 of them) and looking at the homework and making comments while students are quiet. A couple of the boys are fidgeting with their pencils and with a glance over to them by my CT they cease the behavior. The girls are quiet and focused, whereas if the boys have a moment, they talk, fidget or act silly. Once the homework is checked, she begins her lesson. While the students are being engaged, all are focused and entertained. Everyone takes part in asking questions and participating. While she is talking with the students and introducing the new topic, she isn't stuck in the front of the classroom, she is wandering around the classroom talking and picking up things to demonstrate what she is talking about. She does a great job relating the content to block island/real life so that students aren't wondering why they are learning about mapping. This keeps their heads and eyes moving. Once they are engaged and onto their powerpoint presentation and copying notes in their log books, most students are on task. She tries to create her slides so they are business but will try to add humor to keep the students engaged. She asks questions, checks for misconceptions and has students (the boys) separated so they can't promote one another to get off task. She uses the way of life on the island to connect with the students so they can build on their prior knowledge (using topography maps) to study contour lines, relating landmarks to one another etc. She continues to walk around the classroom or move around the front of the room while she is presenting so that she can keep an eye on her class and whether or not they are following her. If students do get off task, she uses time to get them back on task. She will say you have 10 seconds to put your (whatever) away and get back to writing/the task at hand for example.
Reflections:
I think that it is important to relate to students. My CT has a good working relationship with all her students and that is vital in the classroom. The students seem to feel safe and comfortable in her classroom and are not afraid to speak or ask questions or take a risk in front of their peers. It is very important to get students engaged and keep them engaged as long as you can. Sometimes the content may be dry, but it is so important to keep them on task so they aren't getting other students off task and are actively learning. To engage my own students, I want to relate the content to real life, tangible objects, use technology (computers, ipads, videos, music, the news) do labs, get out in the field, have guests come and speak, take field trips to maintain student engagement and have them actively learning. I think its important to switch up your days, if you lecture one day, do a lab the next, etc. I don't want every day to be monotonous. I want to keep the students on their toes, have them be excited or at least not dread coming to my class. I think its important to maintain a positive working relationship with the students and that also plays a role in if they are engaged and on task. Engagement is a huge part of class, if you lose them, class time is wasted, your time and theirs is wasted and it turns your class into a joke. Engagement is one of the keys to being a successful educator and for successful students.
Class Topic: Newborn movement (anatomy)/ Mapping Grade:10/8 Observed by: Roberta Closter
Observation/Reflection #2: Eyes in the Back of Your Head: Observing Student Actions
From a seat in the rear of the room, observe your students and take notes on what they are doing while the teacher is presenting in the front of the room, while they are supposed to be taking notes, doing seatwork, and/or when they are working in the lab. Look closely at each student for a range of behaviors, and resist the temptation on only see what you expect. Note especially what is happening furthest from the teacher.What strategies are used by your CT to encourage students to attend and engage? Watch carefully how your CT moves around the room. Draw a map of the classroom and sketch a path showing (approximately) this movement.
How important is student engagement to your view of how you will teach? What strategies will you employ to encourage student engagement?
Observations:
While Dr. Gibbons is teaching in the front of the classroom, I am observing in the rear to begin while she starts her lesson then I walk around the classroom offering my assistance or clarify explanations. To start class, she is in the front of the room, greeting students and discussing what they had worked on the previous day to refresh them. Then she checks homework by walking by each student (all 10 of them) and looking at the homework and making comments while students are quiet. A couple of the boys are fidgeting with their pencils and with a glance over to them by my CT they cease the behavior. The girls are quiet and focused, whereas if the boys have a moment, they talk, fidget or act silly. Once the homework is checked, she begins her lesson. While the students are being engaged, all are focused and entertained. Everyone takes part in asking questions and participating. While she is talking with the students and introducing the new topic, she isn't stuck in the front of the classroom, she is wandering around the classroom talking and picking up things to demonstrate what she is talking about. She does a great job relating the content to block island/real life so that students aren't wondering why they are learning about mapping. This keeps their heads and eyes moving. Once they are engaged and onto their powerpoint presentation and copying notes in their log books, most students are on task. She tries to create her slides so they are business but will try to add humor to keep the students engaged. She asks questions, checks for misconceptions and has students (the boys) separated so they can't promote one another to get off task. She uses the way of life on the island to connect with the students so they can build on their prior knowledge (using topography maps) to study contour lines, relating landmarks to one another etc. She continues to walk around the classroom or move around the front of the room while she is presenting so that she can keep an eye on her class and whether or not they are following her. If students do get off task, she uses time to get them back on task. She will say you have 10 seconds to put your (whatever) away and get back to writing/the task at hand for example.Reflections:
I think that it is important to relate to students. My CT has a good working relationship with all her students and that is vital in the classroom. The students seem to feel safe and comfortable in her classroom and are not afraid to speak or ask questions or take a risk in front of their peers. It is very important to get students engaged and keep them engaged as long as you can. Sometimes the content may be dry, but it is so important to keep them on task so they aren't getting other students off task and are actively learning. To engage my own students, I want to relate the content to real life, tangible objects, use technology (computers, ipads, videos, music, the news) do labs, get out in the field, have guests come and speak, take field trips to maintain student engagement and have them actively learning. I think its important to switch up your days, if you lecture one day, do a lab the next, etc. I don't want every day to be monotonous. I want to keep the students on their toes, have them be excited or at least not dread coming to my class. I think its important to maintain a positive working relationship with the students and that also plays a role in if they are engaged and on task. Engagement is a huge part of class, if you lose them, class time is wasted, your time and theirs is wasted and it turns your class into a joke. Engagement is one of the keys to being a successful educator and for successful students.Class Topic: Newborn movement (anatomy)/ Mapping
Grade:10/8
Observed by: Roberta Closter